tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81756523630684424922016-09-07T21:35:44.257-07:00no lemon no melonlivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-62466495720097004622010-04-21T18:44:00.000-07:002010-04-21T18:55:50.499-07:00Otto Von Lehigh<center> <img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1063-1.jpg> </center><br /><br /><center> <b> HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY OTTO </b> </center><br /><center> <span style="font-size:85%;"> don't grow up too fast, ok? </span> </center>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-55259079746620925032010-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:002010-04-13T12:10:43.163-07:00fruits and veggies<img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1030.jpg><br /><br />Strawberries are out at the farmer's market and pop up stands have started popping up all over the city. Most of the time I try to eat seasonally, even if strawberries and tomatoes are in the market in December. It doesn't mean that it's good for the soil or for me. I think we have seasonal foods for a reason. I get the vitamins I need in the winter with butternut squash and beets and kale and in the summer with tomatoes, strawberries, and zucchini. I like to enjoy the foods of the seasons. Aside from all of that, I couldn't help myself from picking up 3 pints of strawberries on Saturday. I've been eating them with yogurt in the morning and plain at night.<br /><br />I've had this recipe on hand for a couple years now and finally got around to making it. It's out of Martha Stewart magazine and hers is definitely more beautiful than mine but I like the rustic look of it and it was absolutely delicious! I could have eaten the whole thing. It was just what I needed to get my tastebuds ready for summer.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1051.jpg><br /><br />Last weekend we (mostly Steve) did some yard work in preparation for the spring/summer planting season. We need to get our seeds going and in the ground which means we had to pull out the winter garden. The whole thing was kind of a mess. We let it go early on because most of our root veggies didn't have loose enough soil to really grow (live and learn) and the other Brassicas we had were eaten alive by aphids. We did get a head of cauliflower, some broccoli, and our artichokes are still going strong. There were lots of weeds and leftover vegetables to be pulled. I went to pull up the measly carrot tops and had to fight the soil a little and to my surprise a lovely carrot came up with it! I pulled them all up and was so excited to see that we had our own little surprise crop of sweet nantes carrots!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1012.jpg><br /><br />Steve cooked them up that night with some oil, garlic, and herbs and they were so delicious. Fresh picked that morning and in our bellies at night. This is how we like our fruits and veggies, fresh and sometimes in pastry form.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1027.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-64890713335079622822010-04-07T10:20:00.000-07:002010-04-07T14:30:53.844-07:00Frog BallsThis was my first attempt at home canning and in a week or so I will know exactly how the end result turned out. I tried to do some internet research on why they are called frog balls and I came across <a href="http://www.bsgf.com/About%20Us.htm"> this story </a> that states "they are round like meatballs and green like frogs, therefore they must be frog balls."<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0967-1.jpg><br /><br />The process was super simple. I don't have a home canning set or anything of that nature, I just used what was available in my kitchen. Luckily we were given a beautiful new stock pot as a wedding gift (thanks Pop!) so I used this to sterilize the jars and can them. In another saucepot I steamed the brussel sprouts and also used this to simmer the brine. Other than that I just used a pair of tongs and some silicone pot holders.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0970.jpg><br /><br />The whole hands on time was probably an hour. After the jars had completely cooled I drew up a little label, put them through my <a href="http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=430098&pid=_Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=755628"> xyron </a> (turns them into stickers) and then they were done.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1001.jpg><br /><br />I absolutely can't wait to try them, and my hand at other pickled and canning projects. This summer I definitely want to make and can some tomato sauce from homegrown tomatoes. The art of canning and preserving is having a resurgence in the urban homesteading community. I am excited to see where this takes us. A pantry full of home canned goods!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0998.jpg><br /><br />And in other news, look at these gorgeous artichokes we have! I didn't think we would get any once I read that the plant has a 4 foot deep taproot and we didn't dig enough to let that grow but we have one large globe and 3 little babies! Maybe we should cut the big guy and let the energy be given to making more little guys.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1006.jpg><br /><br /><img src=livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-66390454662731495072010-02-15T21:08:00.001-08:002010-02-15T21:19:55.727-08:00Bridal ShowerBetter late than never...I guess. Instead of writing a lot of words I will just post some pictures of the shower.<br /><br />The invite: gocco'd<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0303.jpg><br /><br />the spread:<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/Ba.jpg><br /><br />the dessert: delicious!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/Bd.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/Be.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/Bf.jpg><br /><br />and the flowers: gorgeous<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0201.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0215.jpg><br /><br />Thank you Lauren and Wayan for the photos!livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-23802787716079148442010-02-11T21:05:00.001-08:002010-02-11T21:29:33.255-08:00Happy ValentimesI wanted an easy and fast way to make a few Valentine's cards. I first tried cutting out some paper hearts but they weren't doing it for me. Then I remembered the many times I have seen other wonderful crafty women (and men I'm sure) make stamps out of rubber erasers. So I took my crafting knife, drew a small heart on the top of a pencil eraser, and carved away.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0370.jpg><br /><br />It's so easy to make and the best part about it being a pencil is that it has a handle built right in. I am super happy with how it turned out and can't wait to find more uses for my little heart.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0374.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-40653146824275622802010-02-02T09:53:00.000-08:002010-02-02T10:09:41.495-08:00Bridal FavorsMy wonderful mother threw me a beautiful bridal shower a couple weekends ago. I will post more of the details later this week but I wanted to share the favors in their own post. I definitely wanted to help out with the shower and this was one way to do it. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0305.jpg><br /><br />I won't lie, every now and again I like to be the center of attention, but more often than not I don't. Now when you are the guest of honor at a bridal shower it's really hard to not be the center of attention. I wanted to make sure that every person who attended knew just how important they are to me and why I wanted them to be there. I decided to make a favor for everyone that would actually get used and not thrown into another drawer with the little bags of jordan almonds and similar things.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0086.jpg><br /><br />My mom and I decided to make tea towels. We found some linen that we liked, bought a few yards, and my mom cut and sewed all of them! She really is amazing. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to print on them using a lotus root and this is where things got tricky. I bought fabric paint which ended up being too thick and quite a disaster. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0096-1.jpg><br /><br />We then realized that using an ink pad would be the best option and give us the best print but the hard part was finding one that was a) good for fabric and b) permanent. We scoured the internet, called countless stores, and finally found the ink pad we needed. The only problem is we could only find one retailer in the area and they were still 15 miles away. The brand is VersaCraft if you ever find yourself in the same bind. We drove out there the next day and bought the ONLY red pad they had left. Printed, heat set, and ready to go!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0101-1.jpg><br /><br />To finish it off, we added a wooden spoon and a label. On the back of each label I wrote a little note to each person. It was such a wonderful day and I can't wait to share the rest of the details!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/Bb.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-2961173033771602122010-01-28T18:43:00.000-08:002010-01-28T18:59:34.340-08:00Banded TogetherMy wedding band is finished and I wanted to share it with you all. I absolutely can't wait to wear it everyday.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1286.jpg><br /><br />This is the ring <i> before </i>. It was a ring my parents gave to me as a purity ring when I was a teenager. It wasn't really my style anymore but I wanted to turn in into something I would have forever. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0309.jpg><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(look at the beautiful packaging it came in, a little wooden box with a glass lid!) </span><br /><br />I found <a href="http://bario-neal.com/bn/"> Bario Neal </a> a few <a href="http://nolemonblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/band-camp.html"> months </a> ago and decided to have them make my wedding band. They used the four diamonds from my original ring and recycled the gold for me.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0310.jpg><br /><br />They did an absolutely fabulous job and I am so deeply in love with it. It is perfect for me and I am so happy that it is something no one else will have and that the diamonds are so personal to me. Bario Neal uses all recycled metals and ethically mined gems and they donate some of their profit to charity (and are super reasonably priced to begin with). <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0316.jpg><br /><br />They even have my ring on their website under custom work right <a href="http://bario-neal.com/bn/collections/bands-rings-diamonds-gems/custom-work/custom-wavy-knife-edge-band-with-diamonds.html"> here. </a>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-26506291595375679182010-01-27T10:14:00.000-08:002010-01-27T11:11:43.171-08:00Cordially InvitedI know I haven't blogged in almost 2 months but lets just pretend that never happened. I promise to get back into the routine. New year, new camera, new events.<br /><br />From the beginning we knew that we wanted to do all of our save the dates and invites ourselves. This turned out to be a lot of stress but totally worth it. The <a href="http://nolemonblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/save-dates.html"> save the dates </a> weren't that difficult but the invitations turned out to be quite the project. <br /><br />I gocco'd the reply cards first and they were simple and painless and turned out perfect.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0024.jpg><br /><br />Then came the invitations themselves. Now the problem that I ran into was completely my own fault. I made the image just <i> a tad </i> larger than is recommended and realized that the size limit is there for a reason. I had to jimmy-rig my gocco with cardboard siding to allow for a larger surface area to print onto. It was quite the nightmare for a couple hours but it all worked out and we were able to print exactly the number we needed.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0016.jpg><br /><br />I did take the design from another source but I did hand draw it myself. The fonts were free from <a href="http://www.dafont.com/"> dafont. </a> All gocco'd in a row!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0017.jpg><br /><br />I would have loved to have all of the addresses hand calligraphed but in the end it is way out of our budget and most people toss em in the trash anyway. So I just went with labels from <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/"> Paper Source </a> and they made me just as happy.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0077.jpg><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(more on the Obama's invitation later) </span>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-88752864646961175462009-12-07T21:02:00.000-08:002009-12-07T21:35:24.433-08:00Long Beach AquariumA few weeks ago, Steve and I took a trip to the aquarium. I had been begging him to take me for the longest time so I finally just took charge and bought the tickets myself. At Orange Coast College you can buy tickets for a discount if you are a student so that's just what I did.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1447.jpg><br /><br />One of the best things about the Long Beach aquarium are the jellyfish. They are so extremely interesting to watch. They look so gentle and graceful, you would never think they could kill you with one touch.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1480.jpg><br /><br />The day was a little lackluster, as amazing as it is to see all of the wonderful creatures, it just isn't as exciting as I remember from when I was a kid.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1427-1.jpg><br /><br />This guy was huge, much bigger than he looks in the picture, and he came right up to us and stared. My favorite part about the whole day had to be the manta rays. I told Steve that if there was a place that I could pay $2 to touch manta rays I would go all the time. I was too busy playing to take any pictures of them but I did get a picture of this little guy. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1459.jpg><br /><br />All in all, it was definitely worth it to do something different from the weekly routine. Support a local establishment and spend some time with my guy. I recommend it if only for the rays and jellyfish.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1486.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-90667824801800965262009-11-12T09:35:00.000-08:002009-11-12T09:47:18.624-08:00Ring Bowl<a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9596493"> Paloma's Nest </a> has been making it's rounds on the wedding blogs for awhile now so I decided to jump on the wagon and acquire one of their custom ring bowls for us.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1355.jpg><br /><br />Paloma's Nest studio is powered by 100% renewable wind energy and uses recycled materials whenever possible. The packaging was almost as nice as the product itself! We aren't having a wedding party let alone a ring bearer so our officiant, Kelsey, will just have carry it in his pocket.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1358.jpg><br /><br />Not only will this be a wonderful keepsake from our wedding day but we can use it as an ornament afterward. Steve and I have a little tradition of buying/making/getting ornaments as vacation keepsakes and significant events or things in our lives. And I can't think of anything more significant in our lives up to this point than our wedding.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1361.jpg><br /><br />I can't wait to marry such a wonderful, loving, caring, intelligent, and funny man. He really is my other half and I am so much more complete with him. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1362.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-34853976087454501692009-11-10T15:24:00.000-08:002009-11-10T15:50:26.973-08:00little pumpkinHolidays are my favorite time of year. Not only because of the parties and family and delicious food but I love decorating my home for the holidays. In past years, Christmas always gets the most attention but this year I wanted to add some new things to the fall decor.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1367.jpg><br /><br />I had an idea and didn't know how well I could execute it but I was going to try. It didn't turn out as well as I'd like and I rushed it a little so the stitching isn't perfect but I think it is a wonderful addition to the mantle until December rolls around.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1372.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-25713763674614063662009-11-03T12:15:00.000-08:002009-11-03T15:42:55.354-08:00correspondanceI have always had a love of all things paper, especially cards. There are so many wonderful companies, big and small, making cards and if I had a letterpress I would love to be one of them. For me, working on a smaller scale at my kitchen table making cards for friends and loved ones is more than good enough. Recently I have been using scrap paper and origami sheets to make shapes and then using a glue stick to adhere them to blanks I have gotten from Michael's. Here is a last minute card made for my friends' wedding. I would use rubber stamps for everything if it wasn't so tedious.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1283.jpg><br /><br />Once again the theme of making something yourself which you could easily buy comes up. A beautiful screenprinted or letterpressed card can cost you upwards of $3 but a pack of 12 blank cards and envelopes cost about $5 with the paper either being free from your scrap pile or a couple bucks for a pack of origami paper.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1306.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1314.jpg><br /><br />I also have a stack of creme postcards from Papersource that we used for our Christmas Cards last year that I have been slowly going through. Here, I whipped up a little Halloween card to send out with a gift. When it comes down to it, not only am I saving money but I am being creative and making things for people that I love. I know that I love receiving handmade goods so I might as well give them too.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1293.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-91070223343749888282009-11-01T10:27:00.000-08:002009-11-02T09:43:22.122-08:00pitaI was reading a post on <a href="http://thetanglednest.com/"> The Tangled Nest </a> about making your own pita. It turns out the recipe she uses is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison which is a book I have acquired through Steve. It is chock full of fabulous recipes and is also a great reference for different vegetable cooking techniques. Looking over the recipe I realized how easy it was to make. I swear I will never buy pita again. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1327.jpg><br /><br />The recipe makes ten fairly large pitas but you could easily break that number down into smaller portions. Since the are not baked in the oven (which they can be) they aren't puffed and therefore not able to be filled. I did these in the cast iron which makes them more along the lines of flat bread. Plus they only take 30 seconds on each side.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1331.jpg><br /><br />Next time I will roll them a little thinner. They were a little too bready for the dinner we had planned with them. Hummus, olives, tomatoes, and chive yogurt dip. I can't wait to make more.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1334.jpg><br /><br />There is something about not only growing your food but making things fresh with your own hands that you could easily buy from the grocery store. We took a couple over to my parents and it is so much more satisfying to give and eat what you made than what you bought. They were so fresh tasting and tasted just as good the next day heated over a flame. Delicious.livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-54306853511243261322009-10-20T11:18:00.000-07:002009-10-20T17:56:07.639-07:00simpleI am always on the lookout for cute gifts, things to have on hand when you need that little something. Awhile back I was shopping and happened upon <a href="http://www.simplediary.com/#/Intro/"> Keel's Simple Diary</a> at American Rag's <a href="http://www.maison-midi.com/"> Maison-Midi</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/?action=view&current=_5899313-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/_5899313-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />They came in all the right colors, have a wonderful leathery feel, and the best pages. Aside from this blog I do not keep a journal. I have tried at many points in my life but came to realize it's just not for me. But then this pops up and it's like it was made for me. Little detailed questions, boxes to check off, and a quirky sense of nonsense that makes me want to fill up all the pages.<br /><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/?action=view&current=_5899733-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/_5899733-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />I quickly snapped up the yellow one for myself and the brown one for a very special <a href="http://ranchogarbanzo.blogspot.com/"> friend </a> in mind. I knew she would be just the one to appreciate something like this. I definitely need to go stock up on a few other colors for the time when I need just the right gift.<br /><br />(images via <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3061660?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_pla=home:albums%2Fscrapbooks&cm_ite=keel%27s_simple_diary(tm)_volume_one:275821&cm_ven=Froogle&mr:trackingCode=92EA6DFA-6C99-DE11-A7DF-002219319097&mr:referralID=NA"> Nordtrom</a>)livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-4423805830859096702009-10-19T14:28:00.000-07:002009-10-20T11:31:53.971-07:00japanese goodsOne of my favorite things to do when I am bored (who am I kidding, I cancel errands) is to go to one of three Japanese markets in my area and shop around. I mostly hit the non-food areas of the store for little gems. My favorite finds are always the different paper goods and pens and clips. An office supply lovers dream! <br /><br />I absolutely love making lists. I make them for everything and anything; groceries, projects, things to blog about, to-do's. I also love little notebooks, I have about a thousand. If you can't think of anything to get me, buy me a cute little notepad, and when I saw this one it was like two wonderful things colliding to bring me joy!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1296.jpg><br /><br />I've already used it to make two lists! Also, I saw <a href="http://hankodesigns.com/Accessories/OfficeAccessories/DClips.htm?gclid=CKK60JiJyp0CFR5HagodvlbLsA"> these </a> on the lovely blog of Miss <a href="http://jordanferney.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-school-supplies.html"> Jordan Ferney </a> awhile back and just about died at how cute they were.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1300.jpg><br /><br />I couldn't really justify buying them at the time seeing as 1. I didn't need them and 2. paying for shipping (for paperclips I might add) but once I saw them in person, the next thing I know I am being handed my change and I am walking out the door with them in my purse.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1301.jpg><br /><br />Even though my first reason for not buying them hasn't changed, I will find some papers that need clipping together. And if I don't, they make for cute storytelling.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1303.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-80730492647923476092009-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:002009-10-13T11:41:13.484-07:00band campI know I have been a bad blogger. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/file_66_19.jpg><br /><br />I am trying to take care of some little things for the wedding that can be done now and one of those is getting my wedding band made. I found one online and fell in love with it but then remembered that my parents gave me a ring when I was 16 that has four small diamonds in it that I never wear. Bario Neal was featured on <a href="http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/"> Snippet & Ink </a> and I was just enamored with their rings. Once I saw that they do custom work I emailed them right away with a picture of the original ring I loved and they said they could easily make it with the diamonds I have. It is going to be much cheaper and better for the environment. Bario Neal uses only recycled gold and they donate 1% to charity. <br /><br /><img src=http://www.melissajoymanning.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/R261G-18_front.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://yoonjungyun.com/shop/images/impression1.jpg><br /><br />I am so excited to get my wedding band and show it to you all. We haven't looked for Steve's band yet but he wants something simple and silver so that shouldn't be too hard, right?<br /><br />(images <a href="http://bario-neal.com/bn/"> Bario Neal </a>, <a href="http://www.melissajoymanning.com/"> Melissa Joy Manning </a>, and <a href="http://yoonjungyun.com/"> Yoon Jungyun</a>)livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-44090881632338471912009-10-01T10:41:00.000-07:002009-10-01T10:52:00.856-07:00cute cardLast weekend, we were lucky to enjoy two of our lovely friends getting married. Since we were going to be in the San Luis Obispo area (the wedding was in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkfield"> Parkfield </a>) and that is where are wonderful photographer <a href="http://voltronofawesomeness.com/"> Jeff Newsom </a> is from, we decided to do our engagement photos while we were up there. I am so excited to see how they turn out!<br /><br />As much as I love all the wonderful letterpressed cards out there, I have been dying for an opportunity to make <a href="http://alovelymorning.blogspot.com/2009/09/last-minute-card-making.html"> this </a> lovely card from <a href="http://alovelymorning.blogspot.com/"> Lovely Morning</a>.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1234.jpg><br /><br />Also on our way to Parkfield, there were these adorable baby cows right on the side of the road. I hope their cuteness brightens your day!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1243-1.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-54961873790781268602009-09-29T14:53:00.000-07:002009-09-29T15:20:06.348-07:00save the datesNow that everyone has (hopefully) received theirs, I can finally post about our save the dates! This was my first time ever using my <a href="http://www.diylife.com/2007/12/14/diy-definitions-print-gocco/"> Gocco </a> and it was definitely a challenging experience. There are a lot of "learn-as-you-go" aspects to the process but I was happy to learn along the way. I originally was only going to use two screens for the postcards but by taping on the screen to prevent ink bleeding, I ruined another part of it so I ended up using three for this project. <br /><br />We are getting married in Palm Springs and we wanted to bring that into play with the save the dates but also wanted them to be fairly simple. I hand drew the cacti, banner and "save the date". The rest was done on the computer, printed, and gocco'd. There are two layers to the cacti that had to be printed separately and since we wanted them to have a handmade feel, I didn't worry too much about the imperfections. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1044-1.jpg><br /><br />The second round was the banner. I definitely could have done the font on the front during this printing as well but with trying to get all of the elements on only 2 screens, I kind of screwed up in the process. This was one of those learning moments that I hope I don't have to learn again.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1048.jpg><br /><br />Here is a close up of the postcard before the writing and with the second layer of the cactus printed.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1053.jpg><br /><br />Lastly, the finished product. The fonts I used are Air Conditioner (found <a href="http://www.getfreefonts.info/free_font.airconditioner.html"> here </a>)and Modern No. 20<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1270.jpg><br /><br />I honestly think that the back turned out to be my favorite. I am not super computer savvy so I typed out my own calendar and ended up using a red pen to draw a heart around our date on each card. The labels are from Paper Source and addresses were printed on. The finishing touch is the adorable King and Queen stamps that everyone loves. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1261.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-88397675557011451012009-09-28T15:16:00.000-07:002009-09-28T16:06:10.059-07:00long time comingI've finally gotten my camera back so I can finally post about Steve's birthday! I'll start off with his gift. Steve is really hard to buy gifts for. I am pretty good at buying him clothes but other than that, I am usually at a loss. Since this was his big thirtieth I wanted to make sure it was something special. I thought of a few things we had talked about getting or him wanting and decided I would let him choose which of the three he wanted. Now my only problem was figuring out a way to wrap these momentary intangible things. First, I took apart an envelope I had and traced the shape onto three different pieces of scrapbook paper and cut them out. Using my bone folder I folded the four sides so they would close up nicely.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1179.jpg><br /><br />I had some old card stock lying around from our Christmas postcards so I drew each gift option (3 fruit trees, a kindle, a home brew kit), carved it out, and glued a piece of origami paper to the back. These were then glued to the envelopes.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1181.jpg><br /><br />They were all closed up, each tied with a ribbon...<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1184.jpg><br /><br />...and bundled together with these wonderful paperclips. (he chose the home brew kit, by the way)<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1190.jpg><br /><br />The second little gift I made for him was a birthday button. I had seen this <a href="http://www.bloomsburystore.com/childrens/school_badges/badge31-school_badge_birthday_boy.htm?browse=1"> birthday boy </a> badge on a blog somewhere (I'm sorry I don't remember which one!!) and thought to myself "I can make something similar." So I did. Steve bought me a little wood burning kit for Christmas and this was the first time it was put to use. ($20 at Michael's) It definitely took a lot of practice. For the writing I simply printed the text on paper, colored the back with pencil, laid it on top of the wood circle and traced the text. It transferred to the wood so I could easily burn it. You could use carbon paper if you have some but this works if you don't.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1186.jpg><br /><br />I had some scrap felt lying around, so I cut them into little petals and laid them out in a pattern I liked. I hot glued around the edge of the petals and stuck the circle on top. I also glued a piece of felt on the back to secure it all and finished it off with a pin. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1263-1.jpg><br /><br />It was so great to see Steve wear this all day, all around LA. He was such a good sport. His birthday party was a success with homemade tacos, delicious treats, ladder golf, and an outdoor screening of The Big Lebowski complete with horchata White Russians. The absolute BEST part of the whole birthday celebration was a custom pinata we had made of Steve's head. It was so great to see everyone's reaction and to watch the real Steve knock down pinata Steve.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1210.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-62324025871790481092009-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:002009-09-23T15:00:33.224-07:00vacation home eggplantOur good <a href="http://ranchogarbanzo.blogspot.com/"> friends </a> hosted Steve's birthday bash at their lovely home two weekends ago and they have an absolutely amazing garden that I would kill for. It's a hundred times larger and better than ours. Every time we go up there (which is often and now considered our "vacation home") we reap the benefits. Whether it be fresh tomatoes eaten off the vine or being sent home with a bag of beautiful japanese eggplant. These are the same variety that we had grown but I think we left ours on the vine a little too long. Rachel had mentioned that she sliced her's thin and used them in a lasagna instead of the noodles. It sounded so delicious that I had to try it myself.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1193.jpg><br /><br />I sliced the eggplant on my mandoline and used some leftover marinara from Trader Joe's. For the filling I sauteed some spinach and mixed together some ricotta with salt, pepper, chili powder and nutmeg; sprinkled some Parmesan throughout and baked it for 40 minutes. It was so good. It didn't have the structure to it the way lasagna does so I would say it is more of an eggplant bake than anything.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1195.jpg><br /><br />We have been eating the leftovers for days.livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-30207143100580072322009-09-23T14:45:00.000-07:002009-09-23T15:04:12.076-07:00angel's foodI know I didn't blog at all this past week and I am finally getting around to it on Wednesday but I was hoping to blog about all of Steve's birthday crafts but I left my camera at our friends house in LA and have yet to get it back. So, I used Steve's camera that is old with no flash (not that I use it anyway) to take some pictures of a delicious lemon angel food cake that I made for my parents.<br /><br />Since they are being more than generous and paying for our wedding the deal was I have to make my dad lots of yummy desserts. He didn't specifically ask for this one but I made it for him anyway. At work we make our brioche and it requires a ton of egg yolks and we never have anything to do with the whites so I decided to take them home and make angel food cakes with them. The recipe is super simple and from the lovely <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Classics-Book-Biscuits-Cookbooks/dp/0060525894"> Donna Hay. </a> Her book is so wonderful and there is a picture for every recipe (my favorite!).<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1182.jpg><br /><br />I didn't turn it upside down as soon as I removed it from the oven (because I took this picture) so it fell a little but I heard it was still delicious. While it was baking I rode my bike over to Grower's Ranch and picked up a pint of raspberries to go along with it.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1188.jpg><br /><br />As soon as I get my camera back I will post more on Steve's big birthday bash.livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-18307820581537835562009-09-10T17:48:00.000-07:002009-09-10T18:05:32.293-07:00crafty dayI have been busy all day doing crafts and running errands for Steve's big thirtieth birthday bash this weekend. While doing these things at my dining table I realized that I need to get my studio in working order. I would love for things to go from this:<br /><br /><img src=http://fathershood.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/messy_room1.png><br /><br />to this wonderful craft room bliss:<br /><br /><img src=http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/6/61259/44_2007/martha.preview.jpg><br /><br />More on Steve's birthday next week! I can't wait.<br /><br /><br />photos from <a href="http://fathershood.com/archives/tag/tips-and-tricks"> fathershood </a> and <a href="http://www.casasugar.com/768772"> martha stewart via casasugar </a>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-19681222348060910062009-09-08T13:55:00.000-07:002009-09-08T14:29:36.059-07:00bruschettaOur good friends Eddie and Wayan have us over for dinner quite often. Wayan is a fantastic cook and always makes us the most delicious meals. Last night was one of these times. We were asked to bring some pre-dinner/bocce snacks and I wanted to make something that would utilize the bell peppers from our garden. <br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1147-1-1.jpg><br /><br />I just love the way these purple peppers looked with the tops cut off.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1152-1-1.jpg><br /><br />A bell within a bell. Almost as good as getting a double yolk.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1159-1-1.jpg><br /><br />Once again, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-Back-Basics-Ingredients/dp/1400054354"> Ina </a> came to the rescue. I decided to make her sweet pepper and Gorgonzola bruschetta. The peppers are sauteed in olive oil until soft and then mixed with basil (I used lemon basil from our garden) and capers. Top the toasted baguette with the peppers and finish with a small chunk of Gorgonzola. I assembled everything at home and then popped them in the oven for a few minutes once we arrived just to melt the cheese and warm the whole dish. Yum yum!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1167-1-1-1.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-27689252711856976472009-09-04T11:35:00.000-07:002009-09-04T12:00:40.152-07:00mama bYesterday was my mama's birthday. To celebrate, my wonderful brother and his lovely wife hosted a little BBQ at their home. I was asked to bring a side dish and feeling up to the challenge, I tried a new recipe. Alice Water's Moroccan Sweet Potatoes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Simple-Food-Delicious-Revolution/dp/0307336794"> The Art of Simple Food </a>. It was absolutely delicious. I topped it with some edible chive flowers from our garden. It went really well with the tri-tip and salad. It's served at room temperature so it was perfect for the hot sticky weather we've been having.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1128-1.jpg><br /><br />While looking for recipes to make in Ina Garten's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-Back-Basics-Ingredients/dp/1400054354"> Back to Basics </a>, I came across a recipe for parmesan thyme crackers and made them to go along with the cracker and cheese appetizer. They are really just a savory shortbread and they tasted just like super yummy cheez-its.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1113-1.jpg><br /><br />I also didn't have a birthday card on hand and my mama loves all things handmade by her children so I took a cue from <a href="http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/07/diy-project-lauras-recycled-paper-cards-garland.html"> Wren Handmade </a> and put together a little card with some adorable origami paper I picked up with my friend <a href="http://ranchogarbanzo.blogspot.com/"> Rachel </a> last weekend.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_1103-1.jpg><br /><br />I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and give all your mama's some love.livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175652363068442492.post-61379124261810445332009-09-02T13:34:00.001-07:002009-09-02T14:54:06.430-07:00I Like PieEarlier in the summer we went on what Steve likes to call our "engagement honeymoon". We had planned a trip for the end of June to Montreal for a friends wedding which led us to also visit New Haven (where this particular pie took place) and New York to visit some friends who have relocated to the East Coast. It just so happens he proposed 3 days before we left for Canada! On to the pie. Our friends we stayed with in New Haven have an absolutely adorable little corner house that has half of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_(plant)"> mulberry tree </a> hanging in their backyard. They had no previous knowledge of this until I saw all of these delicious treats hidden in the grass underneath the branches. We started collecting them off of the ground and tree before we decided that the best way to collect them would be to hold a sheet underneath the tree and shake it. After finding an unused fitted sheet (due to a large tear in the middle which was fixed with staples) we began collecting!<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0953-1.jpg><br /><br />Once we had enough for a pie (and some snacking), we went inside and cleaned the berries.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0947-1.jpg><br /><br />I whipped up some pie dough and got to work. This was my first attempt at lattice work so please don't judge my haste and terrible proportions. For the filling, I used the berries, a little fresh orange juice and zest, and tapioca. Baked until golden brown and then we dug in. It was delicious if I say so myself! I hope to one day have a huge backyard filled with vegetables and fruit trees and if I am so lucky, I will have to have a Mulberry tree.<br /><br /><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v142/lividee/IMG_0965.jpg>livihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00036523875747893672noreply@blogger.com0